Dwight at least sounded as if he has gained a conscience and a grown-up perspective, although he did plead for leniency before tip-off.

“Time heals all wounds,” said Howard, speaking on behalf of no one. “…Hopefully the fans can forgive me for how the situation ended.”

Howard looked unaffected by the crowd reaction, laughing when he left the lopsided game after hearing a heckler bellow, “Howard — you bum!”

“I played here. Some people are upset that I left. So they’re going to boo, let their frustrations out. It’s totally understandable,” he said afterward. “I had some great years here. The reason I left had nothing to do with the fans.”

The fans, though, must now stomach how Howard has lifted the Rockets and returned the Magic to the launch pad.

Dwight got the win, along with 19 points and 13 rebounds, to improve to 3-1 against his old club. The Magic got the loss to improve their lottery chances.